All therapists at some time or other are confronted with cases that do not fit the assumptions of their chosen theoretical model--clients who should get better do not, while others improve for reasons the model does not explain. One lesson that can (and should) be drawn from such cases is that the client's perception of the therapist's behavior and of the intervention process is a powerful factor in therapeutic success or failure. These relationship factors account for a significant proportion of change in psychotherapy, yet little has been written about how to utilize them. Filling a gap in the literature, this book presents a pragmatic application of these simple but difficult experiential lessons to the practice of individual, couple, and family therapy. When should a therapist shift gears? And how is it done? CHANGING THE RULES presents a flexible methodology for practice that encourages clinicians to utilize their clients' interpretations in constructing more effective interventions. Providing a developmental and empirical context for the approach, the book covers the initial interview and the selection, design, and delivery of interventions, as well as issues such as ethics and gender bias. Several case examples and two full-length studies demonstrate each stage of the therapeutic process, fully illustrating the approach and enabling the creative therapist to replicate it in practice. Proposing a coherent framework for practice that empowers relationship effects, enhances therapist flexibility, and expands the repertoire of intervention strategies for working with individuals, couples, and families, this volume is an invaluable resource for clinicians, academicians, and students regardless of theoretical orientation.

Changing the Rules: A Client-Directed Approach to Therapy

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Duncan, Barry L.

Solovey, Andrew D.

Rusk, Gregory S.

Psychology & Counseling

The Guilford Press

After more than 40 years of research, a substantial body of evidence has shown psychotherapy to be helpful in ameliorating psychological suffering. This is seldom questioned in professional circles, yet intense debate persists over how, when, and why therapy works. Those claiming to know the answers fall into two main camps, one arguing that some empirically supported treatments are therapeutic for specific problems, while others are less effective. The other camp posits that all approaches work equally well, as long as a strong therapist–client relationship and other common curative factors are present. Can both doctrines be correct? Second-Order Change in Psychotherapy: The Golden Thread That Unifies Effective Treatments asserts that they can, but what is needed is a unifying framework of change that underlies both positions. Drs. Fraser and Solovey identify that framework as second-order change in psychotherapy, or the “golden thread” that runs through the labyrinth of all effective therapies. To better elucidate this, first-order change refers to solutions that do not change the problem but that create stability, while second-order change transforms the first-order solutions, resulting in a resolution of the problem. In this fascinating and rich book written for researchers, practical theorists, and policy makers, the authors show how second-order change is at the core of all effective treatments and demonstrate how to creatively employ specific, targeted approaches in an interpersonal context of shared respect, empathy, and compassion.

Second-order Change in Psychotherapy: The Golden Thread That Unifies Effective Treatments

Fraser, J. Scott

Fraser, Scott J.

Mental Health

Amer Psychological Assn

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Solovey, Andrew D.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Solovey, Andrew D.